PM Shmyhal: Ukraine to abandon draft 'as it existed before the war' when war ends
Ukraine's military will end conscription in its current state after the war and transition to NATO standards, Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal said on July 6.
"After the end of the war, Ukraine will abandon the draft as it existed before the war," Smyhal wrote on Telegram.
"The basis of our defense will be a professional army. Two reserve components will be created simultaneously."
The prime minister announced this in connection with Ukraine's plans for security and defense reforms "Ukrainian Shield," which should usher in the New Ukrainian Army.
The primary task of the reforms is to transition the Ukrainian military to NATO standards, from equipment and weapons to planning and analysis, Shmyhal said.
The White House spokesperson Karine Jean-Pierre cited U.S. President Joe Biden on July 5 that Ukraine has to meet NATO standards before it can fully join the Alliance.
The other stated goal is to build up a strong domestic military industry. On June 28, Minister for Strategic Industries Oleksandr Kamyshin announced that Ukraine's state-owned arms manufacturer Ukroboronprom has been restructured into a joint-stock company called Ukrainian Defense Industry (UDI).
The UDI's new chief Herman Smetanin has been tasked with increasing military production and tackling corruption within the company.
According to Economy Minister Yuliia Svyrydenko, Ukraine aims to build up and maintain a 500,000-strong military in the future.
